Monday, November 24, 2014

Musings: Mauna Kea Trask New County Attorney

Mauna
Kea Trask will be the new Kauai County Attorney if the County Council
agrees on Dec. 1.

County
Attorney Al Castillo, who has held the post for the past six years,
will be returning to his private criminal defense and family law
practice.

Though
Mauna Kea is young — he graduated UH Richardson Law School in 2004
— he's earned some solid stripes via baptism by fire and innovation, along
with plain hard work.

The
innovation, which also reflects his Native Hawaiian heritage,
includes creating stewardship agreements with kanaka and community
organizations and using ho’oponopono to complete the county's
Section 106 obligations (a federal consultation process to identify
historic and culturally significant sites) for Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the coastal path.

The
baptism by fire involves the wrath he incurred for his
controversial opinion that Bill 2491, the GMO/pesticide regulatory
measure, was legally flawed. His opinion was vindicated when a
federal judge overturned the law on the grounds that it was
pre-empted by the state's authority.

And as I reported previously, he's used his volunteer position on the Kauai-Niihau Burial Council to identify
and record known burial sites so as to avoid inadvertent discoveries of iwi kupuna during construction. It was a proactive and creative approach to protecting
burials and minimizing the emotional distress that so often accompany
such disturbances.

Though I
took a few cracks at Mauna Kea in his early years with the county,
I've developed a lot of respect for him over the years. He's a
dedicated public servant, and a man of integrity and high
intelligence, so he should be able to learn whatever he needs to succeed at the position. I've also found him to be a deep and thoughtful guy who cares about Kauai — his ancestral home — and looks at
the big picture. He has a sound grasp of the intertwined complexities of
politics, society and culture.

He'll be
a good replacement for Al, who has earned the enmity of some powerful
Councilmembers, most notably top vote-getter Mel Rapozo. The County Attorney must represent both the Administration and the Council, so it's good those Al and Mel won't be banging heads anymore. Mauna Kea's smooth diplomacy
should help the mayor and the new Council get off on the right foot.

33 comments:

Mauna Kea is a good guy. Quitting the Prosecutors was a good move. Mahalo to Al Castillo for serving during of 6 years of divisiveness including GMO and plots to get the Mayor and Bynum and a Council that hated on each other at every chance. Tough job.

"baptism by fire" Great words Joan! And so true! I've known Mauna Kea since he was a child and this is no surprise. Mauna Kea is such a great choice! His youth is only to his advantage, not to his detriment and he's not even the youngest county attorney ever to become county attorney. Mike Belles was 33, Kathleen Watanabe was 34 when JoAnne Yukimura appointed her, JoAnne Yukimura was in her 20s when she started in council in the 1970s, Council member elect Kaneshiro is 32 ( I think), and Mike Dahilig was 29 when he was confirmed Planning Directer. Anyone who raises concerns about age is just looking for an excuse. We should support Mauna Kea and all the upcoming leaders from the next generation. If we cant trust our youth to take our place, lead and contribute then what have we done? IMUA!!!

He's a dedicated public servant, and a man of integrity and high intelligence, so he should be able to learn whatever he needs to succeed at the position. I've also found him to be a deep and thoughtful guy who cares about Kauai — his ancestral home — and looks at the big picture. He has a sound grasp of the intertwined complexities of politics, society and culture.

Sounds like the sort of man whose presence will set higher standards of leadership than the government of Kauai has seen in some time.

The kind of man who understands power and can be trusted to use it well.

Power isn’t control at all — power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own.- Beth Revis, Across the Universe

Al did have a tough job. His clients included Bernard, Shaylene, Mel, Tim, Gary, Daryl, Sheila and a host of other stellar individuals. Now he can leave the cesspool and go back to representing criminals. Free at last.

*8:58, as far as his knowing right from wrong, as a lawyer his advice was right on 2491. If the council had listened to his advice and changed some of the illegal language and then passed the bill, we may have avoided the legal challenge. So whether you are for or against 2491, his advice was right and blame JoAnn and her friends for thinking she knows better by passing the bill after her legal council advised the words needed change.

Mauna Kea is awesome. It is good toi see that you all support youth on the council. Admit, our handsome native son will be awesome.

I have a great feeling about this, congratulate him, and wish him all of the best.

The Trask Ohana, has an amazing history, full of all sorts of people who bucked ther system, did things their own way, and also were quite rabid protestors. They certainly didn't tow the line, and I think some of the commentators on here, would think that some of the Trask Ohana was not to your way of doing things.

The Trasks are an enigma, and part of our important Hawaii heritage. I for one am proud to see yet another branch of the tree getting into the fray.

Don't put it past him to not look at a political career in the future.

9:26. They've lost a number of times. Why do you think there's no commercial GMO wheat or GMO crops in wildlife refuges? But then, believing they always win and even the courts are stacked against the citizens feeds the victim mentality and David vs Goliath myth that keeps Hooser, Earthjustice and CFS in business.

HIP~HIP~HURRAY!!! ... AND CONGRATULATIONS!!!HIS DESTINY WAS PREORDAINED ...HE IS THE 4TH GENERATION OF ATTORNEYS ...THE 1ST SUN, OF THE 1ST SUN, OF THE 1ST SUN, OF THE 1ST SUN ....HE WAS BORN WITH A WOODEN SPOON IN HIS MOUTH ...HE DOTTED HIS TEES & CROSSED HIS EYES ...HE PAID ALL HIS DUES + SUM ...HE SMILED AT THE CLERKS ...BUTTS~HE~NEVA POLISHED HIS SHOES ...AND WITH A KNOWING SIGH OF RELIEF HE PREVAILED ...MANY A LESSER MAN SUCCUMBED TO HIS MANY TESTS ....HIS FATHER, TUTU, GREAT GRAND FATHER, AND ALL HIS AUMAKUA FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME ... ARE SMILING, HONOR HIM, AND CELEBRATE HIS COMING OF AGE ...HOE WA'A IMUA KE ALA KA'I O KOU MAR KUPUNA ...PADDLY YOUR CANOE FORWARD IN THE PATHWAY OF YOUR ANCESTORS ...

4:38 Right on....Pepe was good. I had the opportunity to work with Arthur several times....a fine person and he fought for what he believed. Hawaii forgets the great ones quickly.Mauna Kea will stick to the law, facts and keep a level head. Imagine having to deal with the "smartest man in the world" AKA Gary Hooser. Gary will put Mauna Kea to the test. Gary don't got no rice cooker, but he got the HAPA thing, which should stop him from voting on many Council bills. Hopefully, some one in the Council will throw HAPA on the Ethics Board and County Attorney's desk this month. Gary is serving 2 masters, HAPA is one and the desire to git hose "national headlines" is the other. I don't think Gary gives two goat turds for the future of the island. He sure doesn't have time for local people.

Promising start! He was right on one of the most important issues in this County the past few years. And he took a lot of unfair criticism for doing a good job. I hope the bs doesn't drive him from the job.

Mauna Kea a rising star and will be a falling star soon if he bucks heads with the mayor who is an emperor with no clothes. He will follow the fate of Marc Guyot. We hope not. Mauna Kea is too smart to be just a licking puppy. The real brains in the county is not the mayor but his campaign manager and soon to be the HR Director. Mark my word people. There will be more employment lawsuits coming our way.

1059 No way, Jose. A new day for the island. Mel and MK are way above and beyond that. As far as lawsuits and the County, there will be many more, many more.....the Tim Bynum Rule....if He can sue, so can you.

@8:57 and 10:59 your garbage predictions are just that, garbage! Maunakea is no puppet. Mayors campaign manager, Mel, shay, blah blahblah.... These are people, Not boogie men. Stop projecting your own anxiety onto others. Mauna Kea is strong. And you have no idea what the future holds. And also, He could never be compared to Mark Guayot. Marc was a total incompetent idiot. Like 6:09 said, Mel and MK are way above and beyond your tabloid trash predictions. But like the saying goes, haters gonna hate.

@6:26 I don't know what you mean by "answers to the mayor" but he is legally obligated to represent the mayor and the council. A lot of the comments on this blog just shows that you commenters don't know what the county charter says or understand the government structure.